CANADA

Edmonton police clear pro-Palestinian encampment at University of Alberta

The Canadian Press
Sat, May 11, 2024 

Edmonton police cleared a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Alberta early Saturday morning, one of several measures authorities have taken in recent days to crack down on campus protesters at sites across the country.

The Edmonton Police Service said it repeatedly gave campus demonstrators notice that they were breaching university policy and provincial trespassing laws. Officers issued a final warning just after 4:30 a.m. and escorted demonstrators from the north campus quad following one last call to leave, said spokesman Scott Pattison.

The move by authorities came less than two days after the camp began to form on Thursday, mushrooming to about 40 tents by the next day as protesters called on the university for divestment from Israeli institutions. The group has also demanded disclosure of those investments, a declaration of the right to protest and condemnation of Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip as a "genocide."

University president Bill Flanagan issued a statement on Saturday citing fire hazards and the risk of escalation and violent clashes with counter-protesters among the reasons for police involvement.

"Of great concern, some members of the group brought in wood pallets, materials known to be used as barricade-making materials — actions that are counter to peaceful, law-abiding protests," he said.

"Overnight protests are often accompanied by serious violence and larger crowds amplify those inherent risks — especially as they attract counter-protestors or outside agitators."

Flanagan said about one quarter of the 50 protesters were University of Alberta students, "to the best of our knowledge," adding police reported no critical injuries.

"The vast majority of those present complied with the police direction and decamped peacefully from university property. Unfortunately two individuals without any connection to the University of Alberta did not comply with the request to vacate and they were removed," he said.

He added that "approved, peaceful protests are welcome" but they must comply with university policies and public safety rules.

A post on the university4palestine.yeg Instagram page said four people were arrested, with at least two released by 7:30 a.m.

Following the lead of protesters on U.S. campuses, demonstrators in Canada have erected encampments at universities in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver as well as Calgary, where police forcibly removed participants from campus on Thursday night. The head of the University of Calgary said the dismantling devolved into a clash with officers because of counter-protesters.

Meanwhile, McGill University has sought a court order to clear an encampment at the heart of its campus in Montreal, saying safety and security are at stake.

In a judicial application for an injunction filed Friday, the university framed its request around sanitary concerns and what it described as the "risk of violence and intimidation."

The filing cites "fierce verbal exchanges" between protesters and counter-protesters earlier this month, barrels of "human waste" on site, possible fire code breaches such as a single point of exit and the encampment's potential as a "magnet" for further clashes.

On top of a doubling of the security detail on the quad, McGill said it will likely have to spend more than $700,000 on an alternate venue for spring convocation ceremonies that are typically held on the grounds partially occupied by the protesters.

A Quebec Superior Court hearing on the injunction is slated to take place Monday.

McGill students began to set up tents two weeks ago, which now number more than 100 in a fenced-off corner of the quad. The demonstrators have demanded the university divest from companies they allege are "complicit in Israel's occupation of Palestine" as the country's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip drags on.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2024.

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press

'Beautiful to see so many people coming together': Behind the scenes of University of Toronto encampment for Palestine

As encampments at Canadian education centres grow, Yahoo News Canada takes you inside 'Little Gaza' on University of Toronto grounds

Corné van Hoepen
·Editor, Yahoo News Canada
Updated Wed, May 8, 2024 

An encampment consisting of over one hundred students set up on the grounds of University of Toronto has entered it's seventh day, drawing both scrutiny and praise from the public and officials.

Closely monitored by students and security and encircled with construction fencing holding banners, those within say they refuse to move unless the university discloses ties with the Israeli government and divest from Israeli companies.

"It's beautiful to see so many people come together from so many backgrounds and perspectives," Erin Mackey, student media liaison tells Yahoo News Canada. "Look around, you see Indigenous elders, we have Jewish students, we have Muslim students and people from all walks of life who felt called to come down."

Why are students encamped on U of T grounds?

Mackey, an undergraduate at the university says the encampment was formed over the university's ties to Israel as its deadly attack on Gaza enters its seventh month.

"We are here at this encampment standing in solidarity with the people of Palestine and demanding that the University of Toronto divest from from the Israeli apartheid," Mackey said. "We are focusing on the University of Toronto and ending their complicity in this genocide."
RELATED: Photos from the inside of the University of Toronto encampment

The encampment sprang up in the campus's King’s College Circle last Thursday, having since tripled in size and is drawing national attention from the public and government officials. Faculty have since joined students in calling for divestment.

A student makes adjustments to her tent. (Credit: Corné van Hoepen)

Mackey says one of the student's main concerns is where their tuition money is going.

I pay tuition to this institution and they are taking that money and investing it in Israeli companies complicit in this genocide. It's hard to fathom that.Erin Mackey, student media liaison, University of Toronto encampment

Mackey notes that the concept of divestment from Israeli interests in not one born in the past week, but rather, years in the making.

"There's a lot of work that led up to this moment," said Mackey. "Students at U of T have been demanding that the university divest from Israeli apartheid since 2006." She said they were told the university had no interest in committing to divesting.

"I find this pretty horrific and a bad argument considering they have a ethical license policy so all we are asking for is for them to adhere to it."

Mackey says witnessing student action at education centres across Canada and the U.S. marks a watershed moment in history.
How is U of T responding to the encampment?

The University of Toronto has since responded, issuing a press release on May 8 stating that a request went out to dismantle the encampment, however, no action will be taken to limit student's rights to protest.

We have informed encampment participants that unauthorized activities such as encampments or the occupation of University buildings are considered trespassing. Our goal is to find a peaceful resolution, and we are talking to student representatives of individuals in the encampment to achieve this.University of Toronto response to encampment

University of Toronto President Gertler met with the members of Occupy for Palestine on May 3 to hear the student's demands and requests, the release states.

In a response issued Wednesday, the president says health, safety, and security concerns for students remains a top priority, and that he hopes a resolution can be met shortly.
Canadians and government officials respond to encampment




With university encampments making headlines across the nation, Ontario Premier Doug Ford shared his thoughts on the U of T encampment when speaking at a Holocaust memorial ceremony at Queen's Park on Monday.

"We need to remove those people ... these universities have to make a move," Ford said.

Canadians are also weighing in on the encampments, with recent polling conducted by Leger suggesting a majority of the population are against encampments on University campuses.

The survey suggests that just 31 per cent of respondents support the protests, which started more than a week ago on campuses like McGill, the University of Toronto and U-Ottawa.

Forty-eight per cent say the encampments should be taken down.
Inside the encampment walls

Those wishing to enter the encampment are met at the gate by screeners and are asked their intention to enter.

Entrance to University of Toronto encampment. (Credit: Corné van Hoepen)

Inside the encampment, tents dot one section, providing shelter for those encamped, while another section provides food and snacks for protests. On the other side, workshops and conversations are underway.

It's beautiful to see so many people come together from so many backgrounds and perspectives," said Mackey. "You see Indigenous elders, we have Jewish students, we have Muslim students and people from all walks of life.Erin Mackey, student media liaison, University of Toronto encampment

The encampment is the image of solidarity, with traditional knowledge being passed along to various group in workshops, Indigenous hand drumming and studies on the history of the long-standing conflict while community members offer supplies to keep those encamped nourished.

While U of T says they have a high threshold for expression, they will not permit any form of discrimination or harassment, according to a statement.

"When that threshold is crossed, or where there are threats or acts of violence, the University will act to protect and support its community," the statement reads.

Students and visitors conversing inside the encampment. (Credit: Corné van Hoepen)
How does this encampment end?

Mackey says that school administration have yet to address student demands.

The University of Toronto says it sees "a way forward" after meeting with student protesters behind a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus.

"Our goal is to find a peaceful conclusion to the unauthorized encampment on King’s College Circle as quickly as possible," U of T writes in their statement. "Members of the U of T administration continue to be in contact with U of T student representatives of the individuals in the encampment."

Pro-Palestinian activists have also set up tents at McGill University in Montreal, the University of Ottawa, McMaster University in Hamilton and the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver.

Pro-Palestine encampment remains at University of Toronto despite safety concerns

The Canadian Press
May 3, 2024·

TORONTO — Protesters donned rain ponchos and huddled in tents at a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Toronto on Friday as they faced wet and windy conditions during the second day of a demonstration calling on the school to distance itself from Israel.

The encampment — one of several established at Canadian university campuses in recent days — went up early Thursday morning after students said they breached the fence around an area on the downtown campus known as King's College Circle.

The camp remained overnight following an evening rally, and protesters spent part of Friday securing tents and other materials to withstand the wind.

The overnight stay went "quite peacefully," said Mohammad Yassin, a fourth-year student and one of the protest's spokespeople. It was a little cold but "generally, everyone was in quite high spirits," he said.

Yassin, who has relatives in Gaza, said the demonstration and its cause are "very personal" to him.

"This entire academic year has been overshadowed by what's going on in Gaza," he said.

"There are a lot of students here at U of T who are experiencing this, and we feel that the administration themselves have been very negligent to our experience ... simply because we have a voice that they're not appreciative of."

The university has said the tents, banners and flags at the encampment are a safety concern, and had asked the students to leave by 10 p.m. Thursday. However, as the deadline approached, administrators went on to say that they didn't intend to remove protesters if their activities remained peaceful.

On Friday, the university said it was "increasingly concerned" about reports of threats, discriminatory language and hate speech, as well as safety, trespassing and "other illegal activity."

"It remains unclear how many of the protesters are U of T students and how many are members of the general public," the university wrote in a statement in response to questions about the encampment.

"U of T students who contravene university policy risk consequences, including suspension, as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. All protest participants who engage in illegal activity are subject to consequences under Canadian and Ontario law."

In a message to the community, the university's vice-provost of students, Sandy Welsh, raised concerns over fire safety and said there had been reports of protesters "dumping biowaste and other materials" on the campus gardens and grass.

Erin Mackey, one of the protest organizers, said those who stayed overnight at the encampment were students, faculty members and members of the university community.

Mackey has said demonstrators were joining students at other universities in Canada and the United States in setting up encampments to call on their schools to disclose ties with the Israeli government and divest from Israeli companies.

"If (university administrators) want this encampment cleared, that's what they could do — they could make a commitment to divest," she said Friday.

"This encampment, however long it lasts, whatever happens next, students will be continuing to make this demand and continuing to demand that you have to divest from Israeli apartheid."

Kalliopé Anvar McCall, a fourth-year student taking part in the protest, said they were ready to stay "long term."

While there are some challenges in camping out, those aren't important, McCall said.

"This isn't about us. And we're not asking the community members or listeners here to stand in solidarity with us — we're asking you to stand in solidarity with Palestine."

The International Court of Justice is investigating whether Israel has committed acts of genocide in the ongoing war in Gaza, with a ruling expected to take years. Israel has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and accused the court of bias.

Israel's campaign in Gaza was launched after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 men women and children hostage in October. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.

The war has wreaked vast destruction and brought a humanitarian disaster with several thousand Palestinians in northern Gaza facing imminent famine, according to the United Nations.

Alejandro Paz, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Toronto and a member of the Jewish Faculty Network, said the students protesting were "not obstructing anyone" but rather learning and thinking together outside the classroom or lab.

"It's a little bit weird for the president of the university not to be willing to come here and engage and see what a remarkable set of students at the university that he's president of," Paz said. "This is really exciting. Students are taking their education extremely seriously."

Pro-Palestinian activists have also set up tents at McGill University in Montreal, the University of Ottawa and the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver.

The University of Manitoba said it is aware of a planned three-day encampment at its Fort Garry campus in Winnipeg next week.

By Friday, the encampment at McGill's downtown campus had grown steadily from a few tents to several dozen surrounded by metal fencing. But protester Ali Salman, 19, said there is "no plan" to grow it beyond the 100 people he said are camping overnight.

"We've had hundreds of people saying 'we want to camp,' but since we are not growing the camp we couldn't let them in." One hundred campers, he said, "is more than enough."

Salman, a Concordia University political science student, has been at the site since the first tents went up last Saturday. If the encampment grows any bigger, he said, the activists will start having problems managing supplies and taking care of everyone.

"But if we see there is no communication with McGill, then we might reconsider," he said, referencing the demands he and other protesters have made to the university.

Quebec Premier François Legault on Thursday said any encampments at McGill would need to be taken down. However, Salman said he has seen no desire on the part of the police or the city to dismantle the encampment, adding he and other protesters will stay there all summer if needed to ensure their demands are met.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about the encampments at an unrelated news conference in Hamilton on Friday and emphasized the need to balance the rights of protesters and those of others on campuses.

"I think we have to remember what universities are — universities are places of learning, universities are places where freedom of speech, the freedom of ideas, the challenge of debate, of dialogue, of discussion about how to shape the world, how to see the world ... are a core part of what campuses are all about," he said.

"At the same time, we need to make sure that as part of that everyone can feel safe on campus, whether you're a Jewish student, whether you're Palestinian, whether you have strong feelings on one side or the other. And on that we have to trust both universities to manage their campuses right, and local police of jurisdiction to do their work to make sure that everyone is safe."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3, 2024.

Fakiha Baig and Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press

 Small group gathers near University of Waterloo in solidarity with U.S students protesting Israel-Gaza war

CBC
May 1, 2024·

One of the protesters at Wednesday's rally at the edge of the University of Waterloo campus. (James Chaarani/CBC - image credit)


A small group of students and residents gathered near the University of Waterloo on Wednesday in solidarity with American students occupying parts of university campuses across the U.S. in protest of the Israel-Hamas war.

Tamara Lorincz, the co-organizer of the local rally and a PhD candidate at Wilfrid Laurier University, said that the rally will be a weekly event, meeting at University Avenue where it crosses the Laurel Trail.

"This is why I'm doing this action today, is to just try to be very public and visible, that there are people in Waterloo, there are students like myself in Waterloo that are standing in solidarity with the American students and with the people of Gaza," said Lorincz.


Lorincz explained that she would support an encampment in Waterloo reigon similar to those in the U.S.

Tamara Lorincz is the co-organizer of the local rally in support of pro-Palestinian U.S. students.

Tamara Lorincz is the co-organizer of the local rally in support of U.S. students protesting on university campuses. (James Chaarani/CBC)

The demonstration of about a dozen people in Waterloo was part of a larger movement being seen at universities across the country and the U.S., which began at Columbia University in New York, where students and activists are urging academic institutions to divest from companieswith business interests in Israel.

They're also a response to the rising death toll in Gaza, where more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in retaliatory attacks by Israel for the Oct. 7 attack in that country.

About 1,200 Israelis were killed in that Hamas-led attack last October, and about 253 were taken hostage.

Two other protesters at Wednesday's rally.

Kitchener resident Terry Wood, left, said she believes that "somebody has to speak on behalf" of the students protesting at other university campuses. (James Chaarani/CBC)

'Focusing on students'

Kitchener resident Terry Wood attended Wednesday's rally carrying a sign that reads, "Solidarity with students." She said she believes that "somebody has to speak on behalf" of the students protesting at other university campuses.

"Just today we're focusing on students but the other days we're focusing on all of Gaza," said Wood. "And all of the people, all of the children."

Waterloo Regional Police Service told CBC News they were aware of the gathering. The University of Waterloo said the protest was not on campus and as such they did not have a comment about it.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters march in Malmo against Israel's Eurovision participation

The Canadian Press
Thu, May 9, 2024



MALMO, Sweden (AP) — Not everyone in Malmo was welcoming the Eurovision Song Contest to town.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested in the Swedish port city on Thursday against Israel’s participation in the pan-continental pop competition.

Protesters waving green, white, black and red Palestinian flags packed the historic Stortorget square near Malmo’s 16th-century town hall before a planned march through the city for a rally in a park several miles (kilometers) from the Eurovision venue. Police estimated that between 10,000 and 12,000 people took part. Among those in the crowd was Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.


Chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” and “Israel is a terror state,” the demonstrators set off smoke flares in the Palestinian colors during a noisy, peaceful rally to criticize Israel and call for a cease-fire. There was a large police presence, with a hovering helicopter, and officers on rooftops with binoculars.

“It’s important to be here,” said Amani Eli-Ali, a Malmo resident of Palestinian heritage. “It’s not OK for Sweden to arrange this Eurovision and have Israel in the contest.”

Protester Saadallah Aoudi, a Swedish citizen with Palestinian roots, said “this is the wrong time” for Israel to take part in the competition.

“It’s about songs, and songs are about love. … They should be here when there is peace," he said.

The Israel-Hamas war, which has killed almost 35,000 Palestinians, has brought a jarring juxtaposition to Eurovision week in Malmo. Music fans in colorful sequined outfits or draped in their national flags mixed in the streets with supporters of the Palestinian cause in keffiyeh scarves.

Palestinian flags fly from windows and balconies along a pedestrianized thoroughfare that has been temporarily renamed “Eurovision street.”

A smaller pro-Israel protest was also held Thursday in a central Malmo square.

Pro-Palestinian groups plan to march again on Saturday, the day of the Eurovision final.

Israel’s government warned its citizens of a “tangible concern” Israelis could be targeted for attack in Malmo during the contest.

Contest organizers, who try to keep Eurovision a non-political event, have rejected calls to bar Israel over the conduct of its war against Hamas.

But they told Israel to change the lyrics of its entry, originally titled “October Rain” in apparent reference to Hamas’ cross-border Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 Israelis and triggered the war. The song was renamed “Hurricane” and Israeli singer Eden Golan was allowed to remain in the contest.

Some audience members attending a dress rehearsal on Wednesday could be heard to boo during Golan’s performance of the power ballad. But on Thursday she won enough viewer votes to come in the top 10 of 16 acts competing in a semi-final and secure a place in Saturday's title competition.

Critics of the decision to let Israel compete point out that Russia was kicked out of Eurovision in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Belarus was ejected a year earlier over its government’s crackdown on dissent.

“We’re supposed to be united by music but we’re not united, because Israel is participating,” said Malmo resident Anders Trolle-Schultz, who attended the protest.

“I think Malmo should have kept Eurovision, but we should have told Israel either ‘Stay away,’ or maybe even say, why don’t we invite a Palestinian music group to participate? That would be fair.”

Historian Dean Vuletic, author of “Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest,” said Eurovision has long been a focus of political controversies. Turkey’s 1974 invasion of Cyprus led to a Greek boycott the following year. Georgia pulled out of Eurovision in 2009, a year after it fought a brief war with Russia, after organizers rejected its proposed song, “We Don’t Wanna Put In” — an obvious reference to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

“Whenever countries compete with each other, things are going to get political,” and Eurovision has always reflected the “political zeitgeist” in Europe, he said.

While the last two years’ competitions have seen an outpouring of support for Ukraine, this year “we see Europe divided over the war in Gaza."

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press

BDS
Pro-Palestinian protesters demand endowment transparency. But it's proving not to be simple

The Canadian Press
Fri, May 10, 2024 at 



MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — On college campuses across the country, a rallying cry of pro-Palestinian protesters has been “ Disclose, divest! We will not stop, we will not rest.”

Now some are winning the first of those two demands: Promises to provide information about how much university endowment money is invested in companies profiting from the Israel-Hamas war.

As part of that effort, the University of Minnesota, for one, disclosed this week that about $5 million of its $2.27 billion endowment investments — or less than a quarter of 1% — are tied to Israeli companies or U.S. defense contractors.

To Ali Abu, a 19-year-old University of Minnesota student and member of Students for Justice in Palestine, the disclosure is a first step. He was among more than a dozen students to stand before the university’s Board of Regents on Friday and demand further action.


“That chant isn’t a bluff," he said, adding: "We will truly not stop. And we will truly not rest until this university divests.”

But Jewish leaders have raised concerns, and endowment experts say the potential fallout from disclosure is hard to predict. Transparency, they say, has pros and cons.

“I think the broader trend towards transparency is probably healthy. In response to a very charged situation, I think people get nervous about it. Once the information is there, what’s done with that information?” said Kevin Maloney, a former investment manager who is now chair of the finance department at Bryant University in Rhode Island.

Endowments face little federal regulation compared with other fundraising institutions. And there have long been calls for more transparency.

Maloney said the risk is that portfolio managers might just say they don't want to bother with all the attention.

University endowments have increasingly been targeted for divestment by activists.

Over the last decade, students have pushed universities to cut financial ties with fossil fuel producers, weapons manufacturers, tobacco companies and prison firms. Often it has been done in tandem with students in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which seeks to cut ties with Israel and companies that support it.

Most colleges have held firm, saying their investments provide financial aid for future generations and should be protected from politics.

Neal Stoughton, a professor of finance at the University of Waterloo in Canada, said colleges are wary of releasing information because they don’t want competition from other universities or institutions. He likened it to billionaires’ reticence to share investment tips.

“Those types of people don’t tell you exactly where all their money is,” said Stoughton, the former director of the Endowment Research Center at Vienna University of Economics and Business in Austria. He is currently doing research and consulting at the University of Arizona.

At the University of Michigan, officials responded to recent calls for divestment by saying the institution's decades-old policy “is to shield the endowment from political pressures and to base our investment decisions solely on financial factors such as risk and return.”

Michigan’s policy allows for exceptions — it divested from tobacco companies and apartheid-era South Africa — but the bar “has intentionally been set extremely high.”

Officials disclosed only that there are no direct investments with Israeli companies and that indirect investments through funds amount to less than $15 million, a small fraction of the university’s $18 billion endowment.

Only a few are attempting divestment, among them the Union Theological Seminary in New York City, which made an announcement Thursday.

Universities also cite the complexities around divestment. Much of endowments is often held in investment funds that bundle large numbers of assets together. It can be difficult to trace exactly where the money goes, and universities generally can’t pick and choose among a fund’s investments.

Other schools that have opted for the disclosure route include Northwestern University outside Chicago, which said in an agreement posted to its website last week that it will answer questions from any internal stakeholder about holdings.

The University of California, Riverside, also said it would start posting information online with a goal of "full disclosure of the list of companies in the portfolio and the size of the investments.”

At the University of Minnesota, the decision to provide more endowment details came as part of a deal to end protesters' encampment on the Minneapolis campus.

At one point nine students were arrested. Among them was Jasper Nordin, who told regents the university should not support “turning innocent people into refugees.”

Tye Gregory, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council, said disclosure will just lead to calls for divestment and that risks harming Jewish students without actually changing the course of the fighting in Gaza.

“From my experience, unless you give in to all of their demands, they’re not going to relent against the administration,” he said. “And the administrations are not in a position to give in to all their demands. So my advice — not that they’re going to take it — is just not to negotiate on that.”

Charlie Maloney, who is the the incoming president of the school's chapter of the Jewish campus organization Hillel, told the regents the last few months had been “scary” and that “singling out Israel for condemnation feels anti-Semitic.” Earlier, some of the pro-divestment speakers said they were Jewish.

Abu, who is one of the protest leaders, said the students want full disclosure of all investments, but the university has said issues like non-disclosure agreements limit some of what it can provide.

The partial information that has been released names different companies the university has holdings in through investments or through funds. The list includes defense contractor Honeywell, which protesters have singled out during rallies. Honeywell did not immediately return an email message from The Associated Press seeking comment.

“The companies that we are demanding the university divest from profit from genocide,” said Donia Abu, a 22-year-old graduating student who has had family members killed in the fighting. “These companies indiscriminately terrorize and massacre our people and communities.”

The regents took no immediate action, their chair, Janie Mayeron, telling the students, “We have hard work before us.”

___

Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas. Collin Binkley in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.

Heather Hollingsworth And Trisha Ahmed, The Associated Press

After B.C.'s walk-back, uncertainty clouds Toronto decriminalization bid

The Canadian Press
Fri, May 10, 2024 



Toronto's bid to decriminalize the possession of illegal drugs for personal use has been plunged into uncertainty in recent days, as drug policy experts suggest political debates over British Columbia's backtracking on the issue have hurt the city's application.

The prime minister and the federal minister for mental health and addictions have both separately said that the city doesn't currently have an "active" application for the government to consider. Toronto Public Health, meanwhile, has said its application remains with Health Canada amid ongoing discussions.

Gillian Kolla, a public health researcher, says "it's not at all clear what the holdup might be" for the more than two-year-old application. But she worries the process has been coloured by politicization, with the "very fulsome" bid at risk of not being judged on its merits.


"There seems to be a total lack of urgency on the part of the federal government to respond to this application," said Kolla, a Toronto-based drug policy expert.

The city made a request to Health Canada in early 2022 for an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. That application was put back under the spotlight recently after British Columbia scaled back its own decriminalization pilot program.

The B.C. government got federal approval this week to recriminalize public drug possession, a major climb down for the first-of-its-kind pilot in Canada.

Amid pressure from Conservative opposition to kibosh Toronto's proposal, federal Minister for Mental Health and Addictions Ya'ara Saks called the city's application "dormant" and said it has not reached her desk.

Asked to clarify, her office called Toronto's request "incomplete" and said Health Canada was waiting for responses to questions sent months ago about the application. The questions had to with whether the application – which is backed by Toronto police – "adequately addressed the dual objectives of public health and public safety."

"As such, the exemption application is not at the state where it would be in front of the Minister for consideration and is not an active application," Saks' office wrote in a statement this week.

The office said it would not comment on the specifics of the application when asked what questions Health Canada sent and to whom. Health Canada directed multiple requests for comment to the minister's office.

Toronto Public Health did not respond to questions about the statement from Saks' office and declined a request for an interview with the chief medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa.

The city's public health unit has said that its application for decriminalization is still with Health Canada, calling the discussions "active and ongoing."

"We are committed to maintaining an open and constructive partnership with Health Canada," Toronto Public Heath wrote in a statement earlier this week.

DJ Larkin, the executive director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, said "regardless of who's waiting on who," Toronto's well-supported application is languishing before an overly onerous review process.

"We know that police forces and communities across the country and across the world already know that criminalization does not work," Larkin said.

"But because we have to go through these applications for exemptions, even in a circumstance where maybe, possession laws are not being heavily enforced already, it shines a light. It creates one of those sparks for controversy."

The federal government's pace when it comes to dealing with Toronto's application has long garnered criticism from drug users and advocates who say it fails to match the urgency required of an overdose crisis that has left hundreds of people dead in the city every year.

Decriminalization has been publicly backed by Toronto officials since at least 2018 for its stated goal to reduce stigma and treat the overdose crisis squarely as a health issue, rather than a criminal one. Criminalizing drug possession, Toronto's application says, only makes it harder for people who use drugs to get support.

The city sent a preliminary request to Health Canada in January 2022 and, after more consultations, updated its submission in March 2023. The proposal calls for decriminalization to be paired with a host of more direct public health responses, including scaled up harm reduction and mental health services.

The city's proposal goes further than British Columbia, by also shielding young people from criminal charges and extending the exemption to all drugs for personal possession.

The model was co-sponsored by Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw, who described the city as already under "de facto" decriminalization in the city's 2023 submission. Officers have been directed to minimize personal possession charges and federal prosecutors had been told to only pursue the most serious cases of personal possession, such as those tied to impaired driving or posing a risk to children.

The application has nonetheless been lampooned by the province. Premier Doug Ford has promised to fight it "tooth and nail" and on Thursday the province's associate minister of mental health and addictions called it a "made-in-Toronto disaster."

A spokesperson for Ontario's health minister noted, however, that cities are free to ask for a federal exemption without provincial approval.

But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office last week said the province of Ontario would be "required to support any request from Toronto, and they have not done so."

British Columbia's recent move to recriminalize possession in public spaces marked a major change of course. Premier David Eby said the move followed police concerns that officers had limited ways to deal with public drug use, though critics argue those concerns are unfounded.

"There's no data to link decriminalization to increased public safety issues or even increased public drug consumption," said Larkin, who is based in Vancouver.

The political debate has also inflamed fears over the topic of decriminalization, said Kolla.

"Even with legalized, regulated drugs like alcohol, we do have measures in place that to try to balance, you know, sometimes people are drunk and disorderly in public spaces and how do we deal with that," she said.

"On the flip side here, one of the worries is that we have such a long history of criminalizing people who use currently illegal drugs even if they were not causing any problems or any public disorder, that this is going to be another tool to just criminalize poverty and criminalize visible homelessness."

- with files from Stephanie Taylor and Mickey Djuric in Ottawa.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2024.

Jordan Omstead, The Canadian Press

Halifax renews push for development tool to address 'historic wrongs' in Black communities

CBC
Fri, May 10, 2024

Gentrification in the Nort End of Halifax has seen new apartments and high rents alongside public housing developments like Uniacke Square on Gottingen Street (Rob Short/CBC - image credit)


Halifax's North End has changed dramatically in the past decade, and Treno Morton can't help but wonder what it would look like if its established Black residents had a real say in how it grew.

New apartments and condos have brought in more residents and businesses, but bump up against public housing and buildings that were once affordable.

"Once it's all said and done and the development's finished, you don't see anyone of African Nova Scotian descent living in these buildings," Morton said.


Morton, of the North End Halifax New Roots Community Land Trust, is among multiple residents — and the municipality itself — calling for the province to change legislation that would allow Halifax to create community benefit agreements.

These agreements would grant communities legal standing in new projects, so residents could require affordable housing, green space, or jobs as part of a development.

Treno Morton stands beside the Cogswell redevelopment project in downtown Halifax.

Treno Morton leads the North End Halifax New Roots Community Land Trust, which is hoping to get a piece of land within the new Cogswell District. (Shaina Luck/CBC)

In November 2022, Halifax officially asked the province to change the city charter to allow for these agreements, and Mayor Mike Savage wrote a letter urging the move in 2023.

They might have changed what happened with former north-end school sites like St.Patrick's-Alexandra or Bloomfield, Morton said, which are still sitting vacant.

A new housing development in Halifax's North End on the corner of Robie and Almon streets.

A new housing development in Halifax's North End on the corner of Robie and Almon streets. (Rob Short/CBC)

"Perhaps we would have saw that community centre that we wanted to see, and the developer could have still had his 15- to 20-storey tower," Morton said about St. Patrick's-Alexandra school, which closed in 2010.

Under the city's density bonusing program, developers get extra size or height in exchange for paying fees that go into a fund for non-profit housing organizations or public art. Municipal staff are also working on an affordable housing strategy that could include tools like inclusionary zoning, which requires new buildings to keep some units affordable.

But, while both of those options can include community input, they don't bring residents to the table in an equal decision-making way.

Carolann Wright, executive director of the African Nova Scotian Road to Economic Prosperity, lived in Toronto for years where these agreements are often used. She said she was "really surprised" to find Halifax didn't have them when she moved back to the city.

The agreements were also used in Vancouver to ensure community centres and affordable housing came out of the 2010 Olympics, and the city brought in a formal policy in 2018 that applies to large-scale developments.

Wright, who meets with Black communities across the province, said she sees people "light up" when they learn about land trusts, zoning changes or community benefit agreements that could make an impact where they live.

"We have an opportunity to really have our communities the way that we want them, to do the things that we probably never imagined years ago," Wright said.

"We can also redress some of those historic wrongs that have been done as a result of policy that's been oppressive, and policy that really dismissed the needs and wants and desires of the community."

The historic Black community of Upper Hammonds Plains has also seen rapid growth, but had success last year when the Halifax Regional Municipality tightened local zoning laws.

However, Curtis Whiley, board member of the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust, said that's only a temporary measure. He said their area will need benefit agreements to ensure the community isn't eroded further.

"I think any community, any group of people that are, you know, tied to a place and really feel that sense of community, ought to consider one and ought to support those that are advocating for them," Whiley said.

Curtis Whiley is one of the community leaders helping develop the needs assessment and strategy report.

Curtis Whiley is a board member with the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust. (Shaina Luck/CBC)

"It's just another way for us to be able to solve a number of issues and feel more secure in the communities we live in."

A provincial spokesperson said Municipal Affairs Minister John Lohr responded to HRM last summer to let Savage know that the department's strategic policy and planning division would be in touch with municipal staff, and those discussions continue.

Coun. Lindell Smith said Wednesday he'd just learned that provincial staff had indeed reached out to Halifax this week, and is hopeful there has finally been some movement.

"I hope the province sees that there's actually more benefit in allowing communities to be part of how they develop than not," Smith said. "In my opinion, it's a win-win for everybody."

Coun. Lindell Smith represents Halifax Peninsula North.

Coun. Lindell Smith represents Halifax Peninsula North. (CBC)

The city's African descent committee recently passed Smith's motion calling for regional council to direct Savage to write again to the province about the issue. That has been deferred given the new conversations with the province, but Smith said it may come back depending on the outcome of those talks.

If the Nova Scotia government does allow the change, municipal staff would craft a policy on community benefit agreements and when they should be used.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.

Canada's first 30-degree day felt in B.C. with more heat coming this weekend
Forecast Centre

Fri, May 10, 2024 

It's official! Canada's first 30-degree day of the year has been reached, and the lucky winners are Lytton and Squamish, British Columbia.

Both communities saw temperatures soar well above seasonal values on Thursday, with an early taste of summer-like weather arriving just in time for the Mother's Day weekend.

DON'T MISS: Canada’s long weekend forecast may switch up your outdoor plans

The pattern change has forced a ridge to build over the province, bringing a long stretch of very dry and unseasonably warm weather across the region this week. Things will continue to heat up on both Friday and Saturday, with the likelihood of even more communities hitting that 30°C mark.

Baron - Atmospheric heights BC

Remember it's May however, a month that comes with varying extremes, so don't count on this blast of high heat to stick around for the unofficial kick-off to summer next weekend.
More 30-degree days likely this weekend

Temperatures began their steady climb on Thursday, with some areas seeing daytime highs about 10-12°C above normal for this time of year. Lytton hit 30.1°C on Thursday, while Squamish just barely made the threshold, sitting at exactly 30°C.

Highs soaring into the upper 20s will continue to be pretty widespread away from the coasts. Places like Squamish, Lytton, Kamloops and Osoyoos are all forecast to see a daytime high of 29°C on Friday, making it likely for more communities to reach those 30°C temperatures -- some for the second day in a row.

Baron - Friday BC temps - May 9

Temperatures will increase a degree or two more into Saturday, which will lock in the chance for several locations to hit 30°C, especially across the Interior.

Saturday will be the peak of the heat however, as the ridge begins to slowly break down on Sunday and into Monday.

Baron - BC Saturday temperatures

This pattern will certainly dry out many locations that saw a stretch of gloomy and wet weather at the end of April. Though welcomed by summer lovers and heat-seekers alike, it's not the best news to have such dry and hot weather this early in the fire season.

The only bright side to this pattern is that the warmest temperatures will likely miss northern B.C., which has been hardest hit by the ongoing drought conditions.

CANADA'S WILDFIRES: Visit The Weather Network's wildfire hub to keep up with the latest on the active start to wildfire season across Canada.

A cooler pattern is expected to take shape for next week, though much of southern B.C. will remain within a few degrees of seasonal.

Southern B.C. will also be mostly dry in the long range, with an active and wet pattern likely for the northern and central coast.

YOUR MAY OUTLOOK: Spring into summer or a stalling spring ahead, Canada?

Even though temperatures will remain around where they should for the middle of May, changeable conditions are possible across Western Canada for the long weekend. Don’t rule out the chance for showers if you’re heading outdoors, especially if you’re camping or hoping to catch some fireworks.

Stay tuned to The Weather Network for your latest forecast across British Columbia.

WATCH: 4 steps to protect your home and prepare for wildfire season

• Click here to view the video

Temperatures to soar above 30 C in parts of B.C. this weekend

CBC
Thu, May 9, 2024 

Temperatures could climb above 30 C in some parts of B.C.'s Interior this weekend. (Winston Szeto/CBC - image credit)

Time to bust out the sunscreen and a wide-brim hat.

Environment Canada meteorologist Ken Dosanjh said while last week brought cool, standard spring conditions, temperatures are expected to soar across the province in coming days, reaching above 30 C in some parts of the Interior.

Environment Canada is forecasting sunny days and warmer nights through Monday, when things are expected to cloud over and cool off.

A high of 32 C is forecast for Kamloops on Saturday, which is about 12 C above normal and would break a daily heat record stretching back to 1971.

Communities including Kelowna, Penticton, Clearwater, Lillooet and Cache Creek could also see highs above 30 C.

Prince George is looking at highs of 26 C on Friday, more than 10 C above the seasonal average, according to Environment Canada.

It'll be cooler on the South Coast, with temperatures of 21 C forecast for Vancouver on Saturday, climbing to 27 C further inland.

While it may seem tempting to go for a quick dip in a lake or river to cool off, Dosanjh is reminding British Columbians that bodies of water are still cold, and there is a risk of hypothermia for people exposed to cold for a long time.

Dosanjh said this time last year temperatures were well above average, which contributed to early wildfire activity.

"While this weekend definitely will be warming above seasonal, so far it's not packing the same punch as compared to May 2023," he said.

Wildfire risk

Nevertheless, the spike in temperatures comes as many parts of the province continue to deal with drought conditions, which forecasters worry could mean a long, challenging wildfire season.

Open burning bans are in effect for much of the province. And as camping season kicks off, officials are reminding campers to be cautious when it comes to campfires.

On Thursday, Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston said the heat over the weekend could lead to an increase in wildfires.

Ralston said the northeast, particularly around Fort Nelson, is most at risk because of high temperatures and wind. The vast majority of wildfires burning in B.C. right now are in the Prince George Fire Centre, which comprises the province's northeastern quarter.

He said additional firefighting resources are being sent to the region to assist existing crews should new fires begin.

Minister of Emergency Management Bowinn Ma is asking residents in the Fort Nelson area to be prepared for evacuation orders or alerts, and to pay attention to conditions through the weekend.

The B.C. River Forecast Centre is scheduled to release its latest snowpack information on Thursday.

Wildfire forces partial evacuation order in County of Grande Prairie

CBC
Fri, May 10, 2024 

Some residents in County of Grande Prairie are being told to evacuate their homes due to the threat of a nearby wildfire. (County of Grande Prairie - image credit)

Some residents in the County of Grande Prairie in northern Alberta need to immediately leave their homes due to the danger posed by a nearby wildfire.

The county issued an evacuation order at 8:46 p.m. MT, stating a fire is located four kilometres east of Teepee Creek near Range Road 31 and Township Road 740. The fire is moving away from the community, the alert states.

According to a post on Facebook from the county, the order is in effect from Kleskun Creek north to Township Road 742. The order is also in effect for the Riverstone Golf Course.

The alert says residents should travel north to Township Road 742 and west onto Highway 733. Evacuees should register at the Pomeroy Hotel and Conference Centre located at 11633 100 Street in Grande Prairie.

In addition to the area that is under evacuation, all residents from Township Road 744 to 750 and Township Road 744 to 730 and Range Road 32 are on evacuation alert, the county said. Residents should be prepared to leave, but no evacuation is required at this time.

Evacuees are advised to bring pets, important documents, medication, medical devices and enough food and water to be away from your home for seven days.

According to the Alberta Wildfire map, the fire was estimated to cover about 40 hectares as of 5:44 p.m.

'Risk has risen' in Fort Liard, N.W.T., after wildfire crosses river west of community

CBC
Fri, May 10, 2024 

A photo of the Fort Liard sign. The highway south of the community in northern B.C. has been reduced to single lane traffic due to poor visibility from smoke. (Alex Brockman/CBC - image credit)


What you need to know about the N.W.T. wildfires as of 7:00p.m. Friday:

Evacuation notice put out for Fort Liard, telling residents to prepare in case they need to evacuate


N.W.T. Fire says fire has crossed Liard River, increasing risk to Fort Liard


High winds preventing firefighting aircraft from taking off


Highway 7 closed due to B.C. wildfires


Highway 35 in northern Alberta closed due to fire near N.W.T. border


Highway 1 closed due to wildfire between Jean Marie River access road and Highway 3 junction

A wildfire burning west of Fort Liard, N.W.T., jumped the Liard River on Friday evening, posing a greater threat to the community that's under an evacuation notice.

"Risk has risen to the community of Fort Liard," reads an update from fire officials, issued just before 6:30 p.m. MT.


Fire information officer Mike Westwick said the river was a natural fuel break that the fire has now breached.

"That puts it on the same side of the river as Fort Liard," he said, early Friday evening.

"It's classified as out of control, it is uncontained, it is growing, and we are not able to suppress that growth directly at this time due to the safety conditions."

The fire had been burning to the west of Fort Liard and the Liard River earlier on Friday. Strong winds from the west through the day pushed the fire eastward, and across the river, Westwick said.

As of Friday evening, firefighters were unable to directly attack the fire because of unsafe conditions. Westwick said high winds and poor visibility meant that firefighting aircraft couldn't be used.

It was also hard to say how far the fire was from the community, he said.

"There's no road access, we can't fly. So we don't have an exact location," he said.

An evacuation notice was issued earlier Friday afternoon for Fort Liard as the wildfire was then burning about 22 kilometres away.

Westwick said fire crews are in Fort Liard, setting up sprinklers and focusing on "critical infrastructure" and protecting the perimeter of the community.

Fort Liard under evacuation notice

The evacuation notice posted earlier Friday on the N.W.T.'s public safety website said residents should keep vehicles fuelled and prepare an emergency kit.

"It's a notice to just be prepared," said John McKee, Fort Liard's SAO.

"You can't wait until the last minute."

McKee said a lot of people in the community have cleared brush from their properties, and the hamlet has done the same around different municipal buildings.

McKee said in the case of an evacuation order, the destination for residents would be determined by highway conditions. He said as of Friday, it wouldn't be in B.C. because of the closure or Highway 7.

Highway 35 was also closed late Friday afternoon, just south of the Alberta/N.W.T. border.

Sean Whelly, mayor of Fort Simpson, told CBC News the community is listed as the evacuation centre in case Fort Liard residents are told to leave.

An evacuation notice is the first of three levels of emergency. The second would be an evacuation alert and the final is an evacuation order.

The hamlet of Fort Liard said on its website that a fire ban was implemented on Thursday and it also posted a list of necessities in the case of an evacuation.

Highway 7 closed

Two separate active wildfires have closed Highway 7 at the N.W.T./B.C. border, the territory's Department of Infrastructure said on Friday.

The department said residents and travellers should know that conditions in the area can change with little to no warning, and that they should expect smoky conditions and poor visibility in the area.

Residents should also stay out of the bush in the areas surrounding Highway 7.

"High winds are expected to continue through this region. Under these conditions, there is a high chance of tree fall - which is a serious danger to those on the land," the update said.

An evacuation alert has also been issued by the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality for the area stretching from southeast to the northwest of Fort Nelson, B.C. That's due to fires located near Nogah Creek and Patry Creek.

An evacuation alert map that was posted on the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality website.

An evacuation alert map that was posted on the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality website. (Northern Rockies Regional Municipality website)

N.W.T. fire officials are also warning that high winds and dry conditions could mean extreme fire activity in the South Slave and Dehcho regions. They said winds could gust from 50 to 85 km/h.

The Town of Hay River posted on Facebook that it was implementing a full-fire ban until after the wind event on Saturday. The town also said that the fire department is responding to an underground fire on Patterson Road, but that it is contained to an area that's been previously burned.

"There is no risk to the public but smoke will be visible," the post reads.

New fire detected east of Sambaa K'e

A holdover fire has also flared up near Sambaa K'e, roughly one kilometre southeast of the community. It is not considered a threat to the community. Winds were expected to push it away from the community, N.W.T. Fire said in an update.

Storms are also in the forecast for numerous areas, including the northern Dehcho and southern Sahtu, increasing the likelihood of lightning-caused fires.

Winds are expected to come from the west around Hay River and Fort Smith, and from west to northwest around Fort Simpson.

The M.V. Lafferty ferry at the Liard River crossing in Fort Simpson was briefly suspended Friday due to high winds.

But Jacqueline Demers, the regional superintendent for the Dehcho region with the Department of Infrastructure, said it reopened around 12:30.

The high winds are expected to end Saturday in most areas, the post reads, with some higher moisture levels returning to the Hay River and Fort Smith areas.

"However, Dehcho is expected to stay very dry and hot with continuing brisk winds," an N.W.T. Fire Facebook post reads.


Highway 1 partially closed east of Jean Marie River, N.W.T., as fire grows to 1,500 hectares
CBC
Fri, May 10, 2024 

Highway 1 in the N.W.T. is closed between the Jean Marie River access road and the Highway 3 junction. (Francis Tessier-Burns/CBC - image credit)


What you need to know about the N.W.T. wildfires as of 7:00 p.m. Friday:

Evacuation notice issued for Fort Liard, telling residents to prepare in case they need to evacuate


N.W.T. Fire says fire has crossed Liard River, increasing risk to Fort Liard


High winds preventing firefighting aircraft from taking off


Highway 7 closed due to B.C. wildfires


Highway 35 in northern Alberta closed due to fire near N.W.T. border


Highway 1 closed due to wildfire between Jean Marie River access road and Highway 3 junction

A wildfire that is now 1,500 hectares in size has closed part of Highway 1 about 72 kilometres southeast of Jean Marie River, N.W.T.

The fire is about 100 kilometres west of the Enterprise junction at Highway 1 toward Fort Simpson.

"It's grown really, really quickly," fire information officer Mike Westwick told CBC News on Friday afternoon.

The fire is from a previously undiscovered holdover fire from last year.

Westwick said his team is "working to assess that and take the right actions."

He said the quick growth was driven by extreme wind.

Westwick said no communities are currently under threat.

The fire comes after N.W.T. fire officials warned of a "major wind event" expected in some areas of the territory on Friday, along with warm, dry conditions — significantly raising the risk of wildfire.


Fort McMurray residents told to be ready to evacuate on short notice due to wildfire threat

CBC
Fri, May 10, 2024 

This photo shows a wildfire burning near Fort McMurray at 3:30 p.m. on May 10. (Alberta Wildfire - image credit)


Poor internet connection? Access a low-bandwidth, accessible version of this story on CBC Lite.

Alberta residents in the Fort McMurray area are being told to be ready to leave their homes due to the threat of an out-of-control wildfire in the region.

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo issued an evacuation alert at 6:38 p.m. MT for Fort McMurray and Saprae Creek Estates as the MWF-017 wildfire burns nearby.

The alert states the fire is southwest of Fort McMurray, and smoke could affect visibility on Highway 63 south of the northern Alberta community that was devastated by wildfire in 2016.

An evacuation order has not been issued at this time. Residents are advised to keep essential items like medications, important documents and emergency kits ready for a quick departure.

The municipality provided an update on the situation just before 8 p.m.

Wood Buffalo Regional Fire Chief Jody Butz told media the community is more prepared to deal with wildfires compared to 2016.

"From our experiences, we've continued to recognize that wildfires are the number one hazard in the region. And it's clear our community is prepared and more responsive to that reality," Butz said.

"When you're dealing with ... the powers of Mother Nature and the forces of wildfire, I'll take any advantage I can get," he said when asked whether the burned area from 2016 could play a factor in battling the current blaze.

Butz said the wind is also favourable as it is pushing the fire away from the community. He also said that neither Fort McMurray nor Saprae Creek were in imminent danger, but the municipality issued the alert out of an abundance of caution.

According to Alberta Wildfire's latest update, the wildfire is currently classified as out of control at 1,000 hectares and is about 16 kilometres away from Fort McMurray. It's located on the south side of the Athabasca River valley and is moving east.

The update states the fire danger in the area is extreme and fire restriction remains in effect for the Fort McMurray region.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation said Melissa Story, provincial information officer with Alberta Wildfire.

"There is a cold front that's passing through the province which generated some elevated wind for us today, which made the fire grow," she said.

There are four crews working on the fire with about 40 people on the ground, she said.

Three helicopters and air tankers and currently deployed with an additional three more night vision helicopters to be deployed overnight.

"Usually overnight, we see more subdued fire behaviour. And we're hoping that the wind speeds will reduce throughout the overnight activity that we can get the opportunity to get in there and hit it with some water."

Residents in Saprae Creek were put on evacuation alert late last month for a separate wildfire.

There are currently 52 fires burning across Alberta.

Weather causes crews to delay using explosives to demolish part of Baltimore’s Key Bridge to help free a trapped cargo ship

Paradise Afshar and Holly Yan, CNN
Fri, May 10, 2024 

A plan to use small explosives on Saturday to break apart a massive chunk of a Baltimore bridge that collapsed on a cargo ship six weeks ago has been delayed due to poor weather conditions.

US Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class Ronald Hodges told CNN on Friday the controlled demolition will not happen on Saturday due to the adverse weather forecast. The Key Bridge Response Unified Command will determine if there’s an opportunity for the demolition to take place Sunday, Hodges said.

The plan was set to happen days after the sixth and final body was recovered from the waters where the 213-million-pound Dali cargo ship veered off course on March 26 and plowed into a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The crash killed six construction workers and destroyed a key thoroughfare, crippling the economy at the Port of Baltimore.

The discovery of the final construction worker lost in the tragedy is allowing crews to proceed with the next step in removing the massive debris and freeing the nearly 1,000-foot vessel.

“The safest and swiftest method to remove the bridge piece from on top of the M/V Dali is by precision cuts made with small charges,” according to Unified Command, which includes state and federal agencies responding to the disaster.

“This is an industry-standard tool in controlled demolition that will break the span into smaller pieces, which will allow the work of refloating the vessel and removing it from the federal channel.”

If the explosives are used this weekend, the ship could be refloated and returned to the Port of Baltimore as soon as early next week, The Baltimore Sun and CNN affiliate WBAL reported.

While the arduous work to clear the debris continues, several investigations are underway to find what caused the disaster and who is responsible.

The House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure plans to hold a hearing Wednesday to discuss an ongoing investigation into the catastrophe.

The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, along with officials from the Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Transportation, are expected to testify.

Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay

The Canadian Press
Thu, May 9, 2024 



A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated – and she says she has no intention of paying it.

Michele Campeau and her 83-year-old mother, Ruth Poupard, are caught up in a relatively new law that allows hospitals to place discharged patients into nursing homes not of their choosing in order to free up beds. If patients refuse to move, they face a fine of $400 per day as they remain at the hospital.

The bill came from Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, where Campeau's mother remains, with instructions to pay at the cashier's office or by phone or online. The hospital charged the family for 21 days in March.


"I'm never paying it because the law is wrong," Campeau said. "It's unfair what they're trying to do to seniors."

Campeau is expecting an even bigger bill to land in the coming weeks to account for all the daily fines that have racked up for April.

"We're expecting another bill for $12,000 soon," she said.

On Thursday afternoon, Campeau found out her mom was accepted into the nursing home that was her top choice. She is set to move next week.

"Then we'll get another bill for $6,000 for May," she said.

The law that allows hospitals to issue such fines – known as the More Beds, Better Care Act, or Bill 7 – was passed by the Doug Ford government in the fall of 2022 in an effort to open up much-needed hospital space.

It is aimed at so-called alternate level of care patients who are discharged from hospital, but need a long-term care bed and don't have one yet.

Hospitals can send patients to nursing homes not of their choosing up to 70 kilometres away, or up to 150 kilometres away in northern Ontario, if spaces open up there first.

Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare said it cannot comment on Poupard's case due to patient confidentiality.

The last few years have been tough for Poupard. Dementia set in, she underwent a heart valve transplant and survived cancer. She moved in with her daughter, who took care of her and became her power of attorney.

Poupard's most recent health-care journey began shortly after Christmas when she hallucinated during the night, fell and broke her hip. Campeau rushed her to hospital, where she had surgery. As part of her recovery, Poupard moved to Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare for rehabilitation.

By Feb. 21, Poupard recovered to a point where her physician determined she no longer needed the hospital's specialized care and discharged her.

Campeau and her brother decided that they alone would not be able to manage their mother's needs if she returned to live in her daughter's home.

So the family worked with a placement co-ordinator at the hospital and put five long-term care homes on Poupard's list. But those were full. Discussions about adding more nursing homes to Poupard's list then began, under the provisions of the new law.

Campeau agreed to put more nursing homes on her mother's list and the co-ordinator added homes until one that had a spot available came up. Campeau then had 24 hours to visit the nursing home and make a decision.

If she refused to move her mom into that long-term care home in downtown Windsor, the hospital said they'd begin charging her $400 a day. Campeau said she visited the home and found it "disgusting," refusing to place her mother there.

Several weeks later, the first bill landed.

The hospital also charged Poupard a co-pay rate – the rate she would pay in a long-term care home – of $653.20 for 10 days in March before she refused the move into that one nursing home.

"I paid it like I did the one in February, which I'm more than happy to do," Campeau said of the co-pay. "But I'm not paying $400 a day because I didn't go along with their plan to put her in a disgusting home."

The province said it believes only seven people have been fined under the law and that hospitals are responsible for the administration of fines. Health Minister Sylvia Jones said the government cannot disclose how much those patients were charged due to patient confidentiality.

Liberal parliamentary leader John Fraser said he supports Poupard and Campeau's refusal to pay the bill.

"It's the right thing to do," he said. "I think that the minister should intervene and try to find a solution."

The family also has the support of the NDP.

"This is a tragedy," said NDP Leader Marit Stiles.

Stiles said she is also worried about all the patients who have already been moved to nursing homes not of their choosing.

"I'm hearing increasingly about vulnerable people having to leave their communities to go far away to find long-term care beds," she said. "It's sad."

Some 300 patients have been moved into new homes not of their choosing.

Campeau is now in limbo, unclear on what will happen with her unpaid bill.

"I have no idea what happens next," she said. "I really just want my mom in a decent spot, that's all."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2024.

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press

As summer wildfire season nears, Quebec forest fire workers vote for strike mandate

The Canadian Press
Fri, May 10, 2024 


MONTREAL — Workers with Quebec's forest fire agency have voted 99 per cent in favour of a strike mandate as the summer wildfire season approaches.

The Unifor union, which represents provincial fire service workers including firefighters, communications staff and mechanics, says the mandate allows members to strike "at the opportune moment."

Workers with the fire service — the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu, or SOPFEU — were kept busy last year during a record-breaking wildfire season.


Unifor says that despite the participation of a mediator, negotiations have stalled over such issues as salaries, vacations and workforce mobility.

Quebec law requires SOPFEU workers to maintain essential operations during a strike.

The forest fire protection service, which employs about 450 people, says Quebec saw slightly more fires than average in April, with 52 fires burning about 46 hectares.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 10, 2024.

The Canadian Press